Display figure



July 11, 1939. L. l.. GRENEKER DI SPLAY FIGURE Filed July 22,` 1937 LLUN L GRENEKER ATTORNEY.

Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to display figures or manikins, but more specifically to a figure, the trunk positions of which are adjustable to those of the human body and wherein such adjusted positions are retained.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a manikin, the trunk portion of which is sufficiently flexible to attain and retain any adjusted position and wherein means are provided togive the contour of the trunk portion of the figure the flexibility and curves assumed by the human body in straight and bent positions. Another object of the invention relates to construction for the bending of the knee I joint of the legs of the manikin.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a manikin which is sturdy in construction, economical to manufacture and easily disassembled for storage or shipment purposes.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the invention will hereinafter be set forth in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claims. l l

Accompanying this specification is a drawing showing preferred forms of the invention wherein corresponding reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a View partly in perspective and partly in vertical section showing one embodiment of the invention in upright position.

Figure 2 is ar fragmentary side elevation of the trunk portion of the Inanikin shown in Figure l, the said trunk portion being bent.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 1 along the plane 3-3 thereof.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 5 along the plane 4 4 thereof.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View of Figure 1 along the plane 5-5 thereof.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of a portion of the leg of the manikin shown in Figure l showing the bending of the knee joint.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the sliding tubular arrangement which secures the thigh to the calf portion of the manikin leg.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View of Figure 7 along the plane 8 8 thereof.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of a modified form of the trunk portion of the manikin.

Figure l() is a partial vertical section of Figure 9 along the plane Ill-I0 thereof.

Figure 11 is a transverse section of Figure 9 along the plane II-II thereof.

In accordance with the invention and in accordance with the preferred forms thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, the head I E and the arms I'I and hands I8 are secured in any conventional manner to a bust portion I5, the

lower limiting edge of which extends approximately to the position of the upper rib in the human body. The said bust portion I5 ris provided with a transverse mounting plate V2l) tacked or otherwise secured within the peripheral wall of the bust portion preferably near the lower edge. The lower body portion of the manikin consists of a pelvic member I9 similar in shape to an abdominal support and which is provided with a transverse mounting plate 2l tacked or otherwise secured preferably near the upper edge and within the peripheral wall thereof. The lateral ends of plate 2| are adapted to represent the position of the hips of the manikin. Numeral 22 represents a pair of legs which are adapted to be joined to the interior of the pelvic portion I9 as will hereinafter be described. The hands, arms,

legs, bust and pelvic members of the manikin are constructed from suitable material, but preferably from papier-mch, the said portions being substantially hollow to decrease weight and facilitate assembly. Numerals 22' and 23 represent respectively inner and outer flexible conduits making up the trunk shaft 22'-'23. These conduits are made up of the conventional connected annular elements so secured that the several elements are adjustable angularly with respect to each other and are frictionally held in such adjusted position until the said position is changed by the application of considerable force.

Securing plates 24, 25 and 26 are used to mount the trunk shaft 22K-23 between transverse mountingplates ZI] and 2|. Plate 24 is mounted on the upper surface of transverse plate 20 on which the upper end of inner flexible conduit 22 penetrating the said plate 25, is secured as by sweating. 25 is a similar securing plate centrally mounted on .the lower surface of transverse plate 20 on which the upper lend of outer flexible conduit 23 is secured in any way as by sweating. The lower ends of conduits 22,' and 23 are secured to plate 26 on the upper surface of transverse plate 2I, the inner conduit 22 abutting the said plate 26 while the .outer conduit 23 is secured to plate 2&5 in any way as' by sweating.

The thigh portions of legs 22at the upper ends thereof are preferably rounded to fit in corresponding sockets within the interior of pelvic portion I9. Vertically extending from and secured to the under surface of transverse plate 2I are flexible shafts 2l and 28, lower ends of the said shafts 2l and 28 being secured to transverse plates 29 and 3U respectively situated within the peripheral 'walls of the said thigh portions of legssituated inthe thighs of legs 22 above the knee region and in the calves 34 and 35 below the knee Y considerable force is applied to change the position.

Adapted to be secured to the peripheries of transverse mounting plates 20 and 2| is a preferably continuous corset-like member having transverse stiifening elements spaced from each other and secured to a fabric which is preferably elastic. The transverse stilfening elements are each represented by numeral 3| while 32 reprey sents the fabric to which they are secured. An outer fabric 33 may be employed if desirable. Each stiffening element is adapted to have the peripheral shape of the human body along the trunk region, the said stiffening elements 3| increasing in width along the longitudinal axis thereof above and below the middle of the corsetlike member in order to give the manikin a properly shaped waistline. Figures 9, 10 and l1 show a modified form of a corset-like member which is made from a single resilient member 32 such as rubber, the said member 32 being hollow and provided with a plurality of spaced and transversely disposed fins 33' internally thereof. The said iins 33 serve the same function as the transverse stiifening elements 3|.

The corset-like member sho-wn in Figure 1 assumes the position of Figure 2 when the trunk of the manikin of Figure 1 is bent forwardly, the transverse stiifening elements 3| being more widely separated at the rear than at the front. In changing the position of the manikin shown in Figure 1 to a bent trunk position to the right, the trunk shaft 2223 causes such adjusted bent position to be retained. Considerable force must be applied before the bent position can be again changed to another position. Simultaneously with the bending of the trunk shaft 22-23, the corset-like member also assumes a folded position in keeping with the appearance of the adjusted position of the human trunk.

Numerals 34 and 35 represent the calf portions of legs 22, calves 34 and 35 being secured to the thighs by means of connecting members between transverse plates 36, 31 and 38, 39, the said transverse plates 36, 38 and 31, 39 being respectively region.

Special connecting means between the lower thigh plates 36, 38 and the upper calf plates 31 and 39 are provided. Thus on the left leg of the manikin, plates 38 and 39 are connected by means of an inner tube 40 sliding within an outer tube 4|. The upper end of outer tube 4| is secured to the under surface of thigh plate 38 by a hinge 42, while the lower end of inner tube 40 is secured to the upper surface of calf plate 39 by a hinge 43. The upper end of inner tube 40 is provided with a plurality of spaced vertical slots 44 spread apart` by means of tension springs 45 in order to attain a tight nt between the inner and outer tubes 40 and 4| when in sliding engagement. The calves and thigh portions of both legs are adapted to meet each other at the mid-point of the knee cap as indicated by numeral 45, the lower edge of the thigh and the upper edge of the calf being obliquely cut off to form a V notch or wedgeshaped opening as best shown in Figure 5. The space within the V notch is filled up by a hollow member 46 wedge-shaped in vertical section and having an intermediate transverse attachment plate 41 secured therewithin. The forward edge of the attachment plate 41, the lower forward edge of the thigh portion and the upper forward edge of the calf portion are all hingedly mounted together as by hinges 48, 49 and 50 respectively whereby all three members may be pivoted to give the effect of a bent knee. The attachment plate 41 is provided with a central orifice 52 through which the inner tube 40 penetrates while the rear face of member 46 at the upper and lower edges thereof is secured to the lower rear edge of the thigh portion and the upper rear edge of the calf portion by means of connecting fabric 5|. Thus when the knee of either leg 22 is bent, the thigh portion theerof operates on hinge 49, the calf portion 35 operates on hinge 50 and the member 46 operates on hinge 48, the member 46 also at the rear thereof altering its position by means of the yieldable fabric connections 5| into the thigh and calf members as shown in Figure 6. During the bending operation, the inner tube 40 slides within the outer tube 4|.

Thus a manikin has been provided wherein the appearance of any of its adjusted trunk positions simulates the appearance of the human body and wherein a flexible, adjustable and position-retaining knee joint simulates the function and appearance of the human knee. l

I wish it understood that minor changes and variations in the construction, integration,.posi tion and material of all ofthe parts and subcombinations thereof may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Y

I claim: v

1. In a display figure, leg members having thigh and calf portions, transverse plates secured within the lower and upper portions of the said thigh and calf portions respectively, an expansible tube joining the thigh and calf portions and hinged at its upper and lower ends to the said transverse plates, an intermediate member wedge-shaped in vertical section and hingedly secured at the front edge to the thigh and calf portions and yieldably secured at the rear edge to the thigh and calf portions wherebythe said intermediate memberpenetrates the thigh and calf portions in bent positions of the latter.

2. In a display gure, leg members having.

hingedly connected thigh and calf portions, transverse plates secured within the lower and upper portions of said thigh and calf portions respectively,.and an eXpansible tube joining the thigh and calf portions and hinged at its upper and lower ends to said transverse plates respectively. f Y

3. In a display figure, leg members having hingedly connected thigh and calf portions, transverse plates secured within the-lower and upper portions of said thigh and calf portions respectively, and an expansible tube joining the thigh and calf portions and hinged at its upper and lower ends to said transverse plates respectively, said tube comprising two telescoping sections.

4. In a display figure, leg members having hingedly. connected thigh and calf portions, transverse plates secured within the lower and upper portions of said thigh and calf portions respectively, and an expansible tube joining the thigh and calf portions and hinged at its upper and lower ends to said transverse plates respectively, said tube comprising two telescoping sections, and means for retaining said sections in relatively tight sliding engagement.

LILLIAN L. GRENEKER. 

